I am a large black man. I’m 6’6” and big enough to play lineman for an NFL team—well… an extremely desperate NFL team who had exhausted all other options. According to former Nixon speechwriter and sometimes actor/creep Ben Stein, that alone is enough to get me killed.

In an interview on NewsMax, Stein stumped for the increasingly popular right wing trope that 18-year-old Mike Brown, who was killed by Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson while walking to his grandmother’s house 19 days ago, was a weapon in and of himself, weaponizing the young man’s very existence. The interview was brief, but he managed to say at least five really stupid and problematic things that speak to much larger issues of race, perception, and police brutality in America.

1. Ben Stein thinks Michael Brown was incredibly strong and scary

Every picture we’ve seen of 18-year-old Michael Brown so far shows a young man with a rounded face and slightly pudgy build, but Ben Stein, with absolutely no proof to back up his claim, described the deceased teenager as “full of muscles” and “incredibly strong and scary.” How scary you ask?

2. He compared Michael Brown to Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay, and before you ask, yes, he said Cassius Clay instead of Muhammad Ali.

I don’t have access to the same evidence or research and Ben Stein but, in addition to his superhuman strength, Michael Brown was some sort of world-class prizefighter? That would explain why, according to Stein, calling Michael Brown unarmed is the same as calling “Sonny Liston unarmed or Cassius Clay unarmed.” In his eyes, a doughy, teenaged, boy has the same capacity for physical violence as two of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. When the using the name Cassius Clay in 2014 is not the stupidest thing you said over the course of one interview, you know you’re in trouble.

3. He seems to think that Brown’s alleged marijuana use matters.

Stein also noted that Brown was “apparently on marijuana” before he was killed by Darren Wilson. My favorite quote from a recent study that indicates that marijuana usage could actually lead to less violence states that “chronic [marijuana] users exhibit blunted emotional reaction to threat stimuli, which may also decrease the likelihood of aggressive behavior.”

The emphasis in the previous quote is mine, but I see what you did there researchers. Well played. Even in the face of scientific data, and exactly zero proof that Michael Brown had been using marijuana on the day of the shooting, Mr. Stein still thinks weed turns all you hep jazz musicians into psychotic murderers a la Reefer Madness.

4. He compared the trials of police officers who kill unarmed teens to the lynchings of African-Americans.

With a terrifyingly “those were the good old days” tone of voice, Stein reminisced on the times where African-Americans were lynched only for the color of their skin, and then compared it to trials of police officers who have to face the music after killing people.

In addition to being unbelievably offensive, the statement completely disregards that how many high profile cases involving the police and their use of force have resulted in the officers being acquitted or convicted of much lesser charges than those sought by the respective prosecutors. Apples and oranges doesn’t quite cover how far off Stein is here.

5. He also had some idiotic and false things to say about Trayvon Martin as well.

To add a little mustard to this sh*t sandwich of an interview, Stein compared the Michael Brown killing to the equally tragic 2012 slaying of Trayvon Martin. Stein, doesn’t let the facts get in the way when stating in both cases “it’s the very large, so-called victim attacking the policeman who winds up dead.”

Most current accounts of Michael Brown’s shooting have him about 35 feet away from the spot of the original confrontation. Even with his large size, he became much less of a threat as he tried to escape from his eventual killer. Let’s also disregard the fact the George Zimmerman was not a police officer, since it was so easy for Stein to do. How huge was the hulking menace, Trayvon Martin? He was 5’11” and less than 160 lbs. Terrifying.

Given Stein’s stance, which has been echoed on several other media outlets over the past few days, black people must be very careful how they behave to ensure their safety. If you can help it, try not to be black in public, don’t ever do anything wrong ever–including shoplifting, being suspended from school, making questionable hand gestures, and wearing gold teeth, and pull up your pants. Police and vigilantes can sense these things and may be more inclined to kill you.

So in their prime Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali could just punch away bullets? Unarmed means no firearms, moron. Everyone has the capabilities of self-defense, not all have the inclination or fortitude. Stephen Hawking is able to defend himself.

Once people heard that the shots could be caused by potential charging, and saw the irrelevant ass video of him at the store clerk, their minds were made up about Mike Brown. And the part about marijuana? Isn’t alcoholism a widespread problem among law enforcement nationwide? Someone go tell Ben Stein go suck a dick for 2014 *Spaceghostpurrp voice* because I’m not trying to hear his lame ass opinion on the matter.

Also: Some of these white guys’ obsession with the black male body will forever be creepy.

i be trying to tell my homie, those racist look at black ppl like the fuckin X-MEN.
they building sentinals for us right now, cuz god forbid we harness our power and take over. a few bad mutants here and there but for every idiot, you have a scholar like BEAST. but they just see that mutant gene and are so threatened by the power he has, that he doesnt use for evil, will someday be used to take his wife and daughter away.

There is a deeply ingrained, almost genetic fear that has filtered down from their ancestors that one day, angry black men will descend upon them to take away the farm and make them slaves as revenge. No sense in telling them otherwise. They just know it.

@CoK and @Smarter completely agree with both of you. As a side note I love the X-Men because they can represent anybody who has ever been oppressed.

Some people think it’s ridiculous notion and I’ve said it on TSS before but I believe a large percentage of racism/ fear comes from the idea that a black man is going to take your wife and daughter and have his way with them.

“Some people think it’s ridiculous notion and I’ve said it on TSS before but I believe a large percentage of racism/ fear comes from the idea that a black man is going to take your wife and daughter and have his way with them.”
I always thought that was what black guys want to believe white guys think.

It’s amazing how this dude managed to cram so much stupid into two minutes. The worst part is that Stein isn’t an outlier when it comes to this kind of topic, there are so many people that believe similar stupid shit. No matter what happens about this case, as long as a large group of people believe trash like this, another tragedy is bound to happen again.

the best part about this video is actually just that it happened. like, ben stein. on TV. not for visine. talking about this shit like his opinion is somehow relevant and he’s there because people have been up nights wondering fuck I wonder what ben stein thinks about all this! you just know these network assholes were around a boardroom table blowing down trying to figure out how they can get even more money for even more drugs and one of them’s like ‘I got it: ben stein! that guy’s fucking craaaazy. somebody find his number and tell him if he’s ready in a half hour we’ll paypal him 60 bucks when it’s over. 85 if he says nigger!’

Gee, I didn’t agree with you initially about being armed but after thinking it over you changed my mind. I’m looking to get my license and hit the range real soon. Hopefully I’ll never have to use in it real life though.

The way these events have been taking place lately makes me think that something worse lies ahead. If the cop had done this to a dog instead of Mike Brown ,he would be behind bars. Black people have no allies man, I read the other day Gandhi didn’t like black people. I’m convinced that even if we had the answers on how to get out of the position we’re in, acted accordingly, and started doing so, our progress would be impeded swiftly. What exactly did we do to deserve this?

Ben Stein usedta be on FOX and CNBC on the regular back in the day. If you ever listened to his financial advice it was often laced with classism and bias towards minorities. People like him scare me the most because he’ll say stuff like this, carry it out in hiring practices, where he puts his money, his votes, his support, etc. then turn around and say:

Considering he was economic advisor for the worst president of the 20th century, someone who was about to get impeached, I dont think we can be surprised he has some fucked up views… Time doesnt change that sort of thinking too.

I live in Paris, in the “blackest” neighborhood of the city and yes, racism is still deeply rooted in my country’s culture. It’s not just a US thing. Black people don’t get shot in the face by policemen cause we have very strict regulations on firearms (even for the police) but a black stand up comedian can be called a ni***r on national TV and no fuck is given. And we still have colonies (we don’t call them that but still…). Shit, the list of exemples is too damn long

You have to separate Ben Stein the actor; from Ben Stein the man. This isn’t the 1st time he spewed such foolishness. He plays funny characters; but he is an idiot when it comes to racism and classicism.